A NET OF STARS, by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, illustrated by Greg Shed, Dial Books, New York, 1998, hardcover, $15.99.

I’ll never forget the first time I rappelled. Once I got going I loved it. But taking that first step backward off the cliff I froze, paralyzed with fear, for 10 minutes that felt like hours.

We all confront anxiety-provoking situations. It can be tough. But for a parent there’s one worse — watching a beloved child struggle with a fear. Fortunately, Jennifer Richard Jacobson’s “A Net of Stars” is not only a beautiful story, but a wonderful resource for parents who want to nurture their children’s resourcefulness and resilience.

The midway has come to town. Even though big brother Harper gleefully predicts that she’ll chicken out again, Etta is determined she’ll finally be brave enough to ride the Ferris wheel. To practice being up that high she climbs to the top of the chicken coop, only to lose nerve and be trapped by her fear until big sister Fiona gets her down. An actual attempt to ride the Ferris wheel is cut short when she is overcome with panic.

Another child would have given up at this point. But Etta is determined, confident, and flexible in her thinking. The solution she arrives at is creative, unique, and described in lyrical beauty. Parent and child will savor her victory as their own. Etta inspires and empowers without a drop of the preachiness that mars so many “overcoming fear” stories.

Lynn Plourde, co-author of “A Celebration of Maine Children’s Books,” loves “A Net of Stars” as much as I do. She especially admires Jacobson’s “simple but poignant way with words” and ability to create believable characters and get readers to care about them within the limited length of a picture book.

Jacobson was inspired to write “A Net of Stars” when she was riding a Ferris wheel with her two children and remembered an incident from her own youth. She and her two brothers had worked out a fire escape route and decided to try it out by climbing out the attic window to get to the roof.

“We were misbehaving,” she said. “We told my younger brother not to come out. We knew if we had to get our father we’d be in big trouble. I was the one who froze, paralyzed with fear.”

Trying to avoid punishment and hoping she’d eventually come in, her older brother let her stay on the roof for an hour and a half. Jacobson recalled that time seemed to stand still while she was out there.

“I didn’t even talk. I was afraid even the slightest movement would carry me down.”

Now Jacobson has experienced what it’s like to have her own child fearfully resist new experiences.

“You feel that if she could just try it would be fun and rewarding. Knowing when to push may be the greatest struggle of parenthood.”

The pastel illustrations perfectly capture the spirit of the story and give the book a sense of timeliness. The characters’ body language is especially eloquent. The first time she tries the Ferris wheel Etta seems to shrink into herself, Fiona encircles her protectively, and Harper tauntingly rocks the car.

The second time she tries, determination is etched in her straight posture and her firm grasp on the safety bar. In contrast, in the next page where she relishes her triumph her arms rest tightly on the bar and her head is tilted to one side, her gaze fixed on the stars.

Etta is brave. So are you, I, and our children. “A Net of Stars” will leave you with that empowering message.